Stranded
by 3rdbase101
Summary: Five girls and a baby set off on what they thought would be a trip of their lifetime. A storm comes, however, and strands them all on a deserted island. How will they survive and return to their families? Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here is a story, for Twilight. Even though I promised not to write for this category, here I am. But it's not a happy hunky dory story, I got it off of (Currently) Farmer-Girl-Owl's story IslandClan. Except it's different. **

It was going to be a wonderful girl's week out, Sarah had said. Her parents were quite wealthy, and they had allowed the girls to take it out and go boating. There was a wonderful hotel farther down the shore, and that was where we were headed. New Jersey wasn't the best place to be in the fall, it got too cold too soon.

This boating trip gave us the chance to get away from everything, and I was going to take every chance. My boyfriend, Chris, was getting abusive, and I needed time away from him. "Kelsey?" my mom softly asked, poking her head in my door. "Sarah just called. She needs you down by the dock in ten minutes."

I smile at my mother, wordlessly thanking her. I grab my Twilight book and shove it into a plastic bag. I would kill someone if it got wet during the boat trip. My pack was finished. The bright red backpack was stuffed with some clothes, a water bottle, and a pack of chips, just in case we got hungry.

I slung it over my shoulder, and stepped out of my house. The bright sun gleamed down, and the September air was slightly chilly in Manahawkin New Jersey. The trees were still all green, but I knew that if this weather kept up, they would be bright and colorful soon. The sky was clear above me, but there was a deposit of clouds on the horizon. I brushed them off, however. The sky was clear enough to keep away the clouds until we were safely in the warm waters of Georgia.

I began walking and thinking of the trip. We were only supposed to stay there for a week, and it took six hours to get there by boat. It would be perfect, and we would get back just in time for school to start. It would be girls only, and the only boy would be Jesse, Kris's adorable son. She was taking him along because John had bailed on her, and her sister refused to take him while Kris 'was having fun.'

The docks came into view, and I could see my friends gathered around a small boat. All were cooing at the baby that Kris held in her hands, and I couldn't help but smile. Jesse was _really_ cute.

"Great!" Sarah exclaimed, waving me over. "Kelsey is here, we can start!" My friends all hop into the boat, and with a twist of the keys, Sarah starts it. I rush over the gangplank, and Karen pulled it into the boat before giving me a huge hug.

"This is going to be fun," Nico said, resting against a seat. We all nodded with her. What a great way to start a girl's night out! Unlucky for us, the clouds I saw earlier were a lot more menacing than I thought. That and they would change my life forever.

**A/N: Sound good? Then tell me in a nice review, the button down there...**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next chapter. Read and review!**

**Disclaimer: This is for all the future chapters too. I am **_**clearly**_** not Stephenie Meyer. Nor do I wish to be her. Thus, I write **_**fan**_**fiction. I don't own Twilight. **

Kris's POV

Sarah manned the boat, keeping us on a southern course the whole time. Her hands were busy on the wheel, but she occasionally looked back at us and talked.

It was a wonderful boat ride so far. I bounced Jesse on my knees, getting a happy gurgle out of my son. He had been a mistake, a really bad mistake, especially right after my parents died. Mary, my sister, and her husband Peter took me in after John left, and they had tried to be as parentally as possible. My life had been miserable then, and I never thought I would make it through each day. Then happened that point in the hospital, and I knew from the second my redheaded child was placed in my arms that there was something to live for.

"Kris?" Karen asked, looking at me with concern in her brown eyes. I raised my eyebrows and glanced around. Everyone was staring at me. "Are you alright?" she continued, voicing the opinion of everyone on the boat.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered, shrugging nonchalantly. I turned towards the water, hoping the gently lapping waves would hold back my tears. It made me sick how quickly the happy chatter started up again. Didn't they realize that I _wasn't_ alright?

Would it really be that bad if I just threw myself overboard now, submitting to the growing bud of darkness in my chest? Jesse answered that question by pulling on a strand of my deep red hair and giving a rare laugh.

Nico sat next to me and placed her hand on my leg. "It won't be long until we hit North Carolina. We'll be there soon," she said. "And please don't drown yourself, Kris. Think of Jesse and me," she added as an afterthought.

I smiled. Although we were all friends on this boat, Nico was my best friend since childhood. I gave her a careful hug, trying to make it as meaningful as possible without crushing my son.

"This is boring," Kelsey muttered. "I know!" she cried, brightening up immediately. "I'll read Twilight to you!"

Inwardly I sighed, even though my face showed a happy smile. I knew that Kelsey, Karen, and Sarah simply adored the series, and believed that there was no other book that bested it. Nico was close to their love, but thought that the saga was equal to the Harry Potter series. I, on the other hand, had read the saga and decided it was alright. There were multiple books that were better, and Twilight fell in the middle of the range of my best to least liked books. It was alright, but I wasn't really in the mood to hear a sappy romance right now.

Sarah gave a high pitched squeal, her light blonde hair whipping around as she turned to face Kelsey. "Do it!" she chanted three times. "It will make my boredom goo away!"

Kelsey dug in her red backpack and pulled out her pristine hardcover copy of Twilight. She pulled it out of her protective Ziploc bag, and opened to the first page.

Karen set next to Kelsey on the blue green leather, and looked over the dark brown haired girl's shoulders. She pointed to a place farther off in the book and giggled. To my surprise, Nico left me also, going to rest against the boat side closer to Kelsey. I stayed where I was, content with my seat and played with Jesse's strawberry blonde hair. My eyes drifted to the sky as she spoke, and my eyebrows furrowed as I saw it.

"That's weird," I whispered to myself. The clouds that had seemed stationary at the horizon for the past two hours were currently above us. They were a gray color, with patches of green near the darker patches of gray. They were quickly closing in on the bright sun, and I knew we were going to get rain soon.

"_Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something_," I dimly heard Kelsey say. Huh, I must have missed a few lines while I was examining the darkening sky…

I pulled myself out of my reverie to listen to more. If I didn't give my rapt attention, Kelsey would notice and start calling my name again. "_I knew that if I'd never gone to Forks, I wouldn't be facing death now. But, terrified as I was, I couldn't bring myself to regret the decision. When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end._"

Kelsey's expression was rapt as she stared down at the book clenched between her hands. Her voice flowed melodically as she read over each word, so smooth that it almost put me to sleep.

"_The hunter smiled in a friendly way_," Kelsey continued. She read the words slower than normal, and squinted at the book as the dark clouds covered the sun. "The _hunter smiled in a friendly way_," she repeated, "_as he sauntered forward to kill me_."

She looked up then, the smile plastered rather largely on her face. "Wasn't that _great_?" she asked. Karen nodded vigorously, telling Kelsey that she had to go on. "Now for the first chapter!"

Kelsey took a deep breath and flipped a page. "_My mother drove me to the airport with the windows rolled down. It was seventy-five degrees in_ – Hey!" The clouds had finally broken, sending forth a few large drops of rain. One had the luck of landing in the middle of the title chapter, and blurring it a little.

She glared angrily at the darkening clouds and blotted the raindrop from the page. She opened the Ziploc bag violently, still angry at the weather, and placed Twilight carefully in before zipping it shut.

As if in response to her anger, more rain fell down, making Sarah scream. The waves began tossing us around and growing bigger all the time. The wind blew fiercely, making enough noise to drown out my friend's screams. I tried soothing Jesse as I clutched him tight to my chest, for he had begun to cry.

"This wasn't supposed to happen yet!" Sarah screamed over the escalating wind. We all got up and huddled near my light blonde friend. We pushed and shoved, each trying to get to the center of the circle so we could stay the driest and warmest.

I was about to protest that_ I _should be in the middle to protect the only baby when the boat rocked heavily and I fell. Since I was on the outskirts of the circle, I fell on the metal side of the boat, hitting my head.

Through the fog that began penetrating my brain I could discern four things. One was that thunder was rolling through the sky, announcing the arrival of lightning. Two was that the boat was rocking more heavily, almost throwing us out on each wave. Three was the warm fluid that flowed down my face from the gash in my forehead. Fourth was that Jesse, my baby, my only love, had begun crying harder. I clutched him tight to my chest, promising that I wouldn't let go ever. Then I blacked out.

**A/N: Was it good? Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I have really good ideas of the storm this chapter, since I am currently writing this in a storm. Convenient, no? Please read and review.**

From the second I saw Kris fall; I knew we were in trouble. Why? Because Kris was the strongest of us. The person who had lived through the most, experienced the most, _knew_ the most, was now gushing blood on the floor of the boat. I screamed again, hurting my own eardrums. My hair clung to my head in a mat, and I was glad that I had cut it short a few weeks ago.

I bent down, trying to aid Kris and Jesse, when the boat rocked once more. A sickening groan sounded as the boat shuddered. Looking over the edge (which had grown rather hard because of the sheets of rain), I saw that a big chunk of metal edge was now missing from the boat's side.

A large fork of lightning split the sky above us, and I felt my friends fall to their knees beside me. I feel a jolt underneath me as I try to pry Jesse from Kris, to save the poor child's life. However, even in unconsciousness, Kris's mother side is strong. She refuses to let go of the now crying baby, and I fall to my side as the boat rocks once more. There is a loud sound of rushing water, and with a sickening feeling, I know that the water was rushing in through the gaping hole.

Through the pouring rain, I slid to the end of the boat. A wave came crashing over the side, and we begin tipping slightly to the left. Move waves come in quick succession, and Karen screeches as she is pulled off into the waves. I try to reach for her hand, but she is quickly pulled out of sight. I pray for her, and set on getting to the more pressing matter; Kris and Jesse, both who can't save themselves.

Another large sound of grating metal is heard, and almost drowns out Nico's screams as she is swept overboard also. Kelsey looks afraid, but jumps into the water with determination, trying to save her friends. Torrents of water come down, beating upon my head and my back as I crawl on the slippery surface of the boat's deck. Thunder booms ahead, and I thought that if I was to die, I would rather it be saving two lives.

I scream as the boat literally falls apart at my feet. The boat that has served my childhood now lay in ruins upon the violently churning water. I stay afloat on top of a gray blue seat, riding the waves precariously. I sigh at my fortune of not being dragged in like the rest, when I hear a gurgle. It wasn't the happy gurgle I was used to, but a plea of help from a drowning baby who can't speak yet.

I see Kris slowly sinking under the water, Jesse held high above her. Knowing that if I don't intercede now, my friend would die, I leap into the churning water. The iciness of the water stuns me temporarily. This is exactly what we were going to avoid by going down to Georgia. I feel a strong current pulling me towards the young mother, and I grasp her head and pull it upwards.

Greeted with a gasp of breath, I feel a jolt of hope. Maybe Kris is alive, and if she is alive, Jesse will certainly survive! However, my hope dies as quickly as it flares. She wasn't awake. It was only a breath to save her live, not a conscious act.

I pulled Kris over to a large strip of metal from the boat. I rest her on top, wondering how she could keep Jesse from falling into the water this whole time. The water still beats me heavily, almost draining me of all energy I have. Nevertheless, the metal boat piece stayed afloat.

Happy that I had saved at least two lives, I was about to collapse on my chair again when I hear a voice. It was faint, yet I could still hear it calling my name. "Sarah! Sarah!" It called, and through desperation I recognized Kelsey's voice.

"I'm coming!" I cried, launching myself of the chair into the water again. I was so soaked, it really didn't matter that the water was cold and I was getting more wet. I swam towards the constantly calling voice, upset at myself for not taking those swimming classes when I had the chance.

A head appeared over the tall waves, and I saw hands waving frantically waving. "Kelsey!" I called, waving my own hands in response.

The waves pulled me on to her, and I could feel some force above willing me to get to her. Her dark brown hair was matted and it stuck out in all different ways. She grasped my hand in desperation, and gasped in my ear. "I have Nico," she said in between breaths.

"Where?" I tried asking, the violent waves stuffing my mouth with salt water. She pointed towards a life saver from the boat, and suddenly I was glad that the boat I had known throughout my childhood had broken apart. At least it had saved some lives.

"Karen?" I asked gratingly, the salt not leaving my vocal cords. Kelsey shrugged, and a pained look came onto her face. "Go to Nico, and rest on," I had to pause, the effort too much, "the life saver. Jesse and Kris are fine; I'll go and try to find Karen."

Looking as if she was going to protest, I gave Kelsey a stern look. She paddled towards the life saver, giving me reproachful looks as she went. I didn't feel any remorse, though. It was _my_ idea to take the boat out when I knew a hurricane had been approaching. It had been _my _stupidity that thought we could beat it out. Everyone deserved to be saved, and if I didn't make it out alive; well, it had been _my_ fault all this happened.

I swam away with powerful strokes, feeling for the strong undercurrent that I felt before. Some of my boat smarts came into play here. If one was being dragged away, they would _always_ follow the current, no matter what. It was my best hope. An enormously loud clap of thunder sounded, making my ears ring.

Grabbing the backseat from the water beside me, I used it as a life raft to help me keep afloat. I noticed dimly that I hadn't heard the sound of thunder or rain in a while. Hopefully I looked up, only to see a fork of lightning race across the sky. Not even a decimal of thunder was heard. Horror stricken, I realized that the thunder had made me deaf. I couldn't hear a call for help, or _anything._

Tears streamed down my face, blending in easily with the salty water from the sea splashing up into my eyes. The rainwater did little to help the slight burn. There was just _too much_ salt.

I saw a head bobbing on the water, dipping underneath every once in a while, balancing precariously on the edge of life and death. My legs kicked out, and I reached Karen in a few minutes. My knowledge of currents had helped me save her, and I pulled her up on the boat seat. She said words, but I couldn't hear them.

Nodding vigorously, I gave her a hug. What I thought was mumbling soundlessly was really sobbing. Why had this happened to me and my friends? We were good kids, we didn't deserve to die!

Karen stroked my hair, and kept trying to talk to me. I shook my head and pointed to my ears. With what I could tell as a gasp of shock, she patted my shoulder and began crying.

My legs kicked on a course towards the others, and I hoped that they were fine. Karen joined in with me, her small legs not really getting much distance, but helping in going against the current. I rested my head on the seat, and closed my eyes. Hopefully this would be a dream, and I wouldn't have even started the trip yet. Then I would postpone it, and not even go.

My legs screamed in protest, though. _They_ knew it wasn't a dream. They kept kicking, knowing it was either continue or die. I kicked with my eyes closed, falling into a warm reverie of home, one which I hope not to come out of as long as I reside in the middle of the ocean.

**A/N: Most of you are wondering what exactly does this have to do with Twilight, right? Just wait for a few chapters. All will be explained. Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: An update? Gasp! Here it is, please read, review and enjoy!**

**Nico's POV:**

I awoke, my eyes blinking as the rain flew down from the sky. The lifesaver I was currently hugging for my life buoyed up and down with the violent waves, tossing salt water in my mouth. I coughed, trying to get the foul liquid out of my mouth. I saw Kelsey next to me on the lifesaver, and I moved over to give her more room. She stirred, and then I blacked out again.

My eyes blinked open. I had been disturbed from my sleep from the noise. Or, rather, the lack of noise. The thunder, rain and waves had all calmed, leaving me slightly swaying in their aftermath. It was as if the ocean was saying sorry for what she had done.

Looking around the lifesaver, I could detect Kelsey with me, just like before. She smiled warmly at me as I pulled my head up and looked at her. In her arms she held Jesse, and I gasped.

"W-w-where's Kris?" I almost screamed. The nervousness was taking over. I knew that my best friend wouldn't let her child out of sight, even if it meant certain death for her.

Kelsey put a calming hand on my shoulder, tutting her tongue as she did so. "It's alright. We spotted land over there, and Sarah wanted to go. But," she lowered her voice to a whisper," Sarah's gone deaf." She paused while I processed this, and then continued in a normal voice. "Since she can't hear if anything's coming to eat her, Kris and Karen went along."

"But Jesse," I said skeptically. The small baby was currently dangling safely over the edge of the lifesaver, held by Kelsey. He gurgled happily as he dipped his feet in, playing with the cool water.

"She agreed that he would be saver of the lifesaver with me and you," Kelsey spoke, her tone closing the conversation. Disappointed I couldn't find out more, I looked out towards the landscape we were in.

There was water all around us, but it wasn't at all like the New Jersey water I was used to. It was a crystalline blue, sparkling and playing in the sun. It was much warmer, too, and I felt that I belonged in the water more than air. It was that warm. Not to say that the air wasn't warm, either. It most definitely was. It was just that the salt water felt more inviting. If I could strain my eyes, I could see a dark patch of green, not moving in the relaxing waves.

"Is that the place where they went to go look?" I asked, pointing my finger at the smudge of green for emphasis. Kelsey nodded, and then went back to playing with Jesse.

It was really far away, I noticed. It would take forever for them to swim out to the boat. "We should swim the lifesaver closer," I said, catching the attention of Kelsey. She looked like she was going to protest, but I silenced her with a glare. "It would take forever for them to swim out here, and they'd be really tired. We'd have to wait another day to swim back in so they'd be all rested. But that won't even work, since we have no food."

My logic grabbed her, and she sighed. "Fine," she said, handing me Jesse. "Just take him, so that I have the full motion to kick." I nodded, and grabbed Jesse. He cooed at me, and I smiled back. The redhead was such a nice kid. I've known him for all of his life.

Kelsey got a determined look on her face, and began kicking. We shot forward powerfully, and I gasped at the speed we were achieving. I added in my kicks as we went forward, but they barely did anything. Kelsey was the team captain on the swim team. She _knew_ how to kick for maximum distance.

Soon, we were a closer distance to the island. From far away it looked tiny, but up close it was _huge. _The bright flowers and plants that bloomed told me where I was, overriding the hint the water and air gave us. The storm had blown us far past our destination of Georgia. We had somehow wound up in the tropics.

"Kelsey," I began, but she silenced me with a wave of her hand. Her keen eyes were focused on the beach of the island, where three figures stood. They waved their hands madly, and seemingly called out, although there wasn't much sound to be heard out here.

"I think they want us to come in," she spoke, voicing my thoughts. I nodded, and held Jesse tightly as she kicked forward powerfully again. The trip to the island seemed really long, but that was only the size of the island that deceived me. I began wondering. There must've been people on that island. _Must._ How could the sheer size of the island be, without anyone to have lived or discovered it yet?

Kris ran into the shallow water, and grabbed Jesse away from me, when we got close. She sighed happily, and almost smothered him with love.

"How's the island?" I asked, directing it towards Sarah. She shook her head sadly, and then pointed to Kris. I looked at her skeptically until Kelsey's voice came to me. _Sarah's gone deaf._ The full severity of her condition struck me, and I was speechless.

Turning to me, Kris smiled slightly, as if saying 'Hey, fancy meeting you here.' I tried smiling back, but it didn't work. "The island is almost perfect for our inhabitation until people come and rescue us," she told Kelsey and I. "There's only one real problem. We need to find water. Once we find it, we can set our camp up near it, and wait for the people to come rescue us."

"Someone's coming to rescue us?" I ask happily. All of my quick lived hope is taken away when I see their faces. All are down, and even Jesse had stopped his happy gurgle.

"No," Karen sighed. "We just hope. I mean, our parents must've known we're gone. They'll be searching for us. But they'll never know that we're on a deserted island…."

This day just keeps getting better and better. "Let's go find some water then," I say in fake cheerfulness. Kris leads the way with Sarah on her right. The two lead us from the pristine beach into a dense jungle.

The trees surrounding us seem to close in every second, but I know one thing. If these trees could grow to such gigantious sizes, there _must_ be a fresh water supply here somewhere.

"We'd do better if we'd split up," Kelsey sighed after fifteen minutes of searching. "But we can't go alone."

"I'll go with Kris and Jesse!" I immediately shout out, and took her hand. The rest of the group looked at me as I dragged my best friend and her son into the forest. We went through, and I could see the beauty of this place. Although it was unnecessary hot and damp, the trees were tall and protecting from the hot sun. Multicolored flowers sprouted from all over, giving bright spots of colors to the drab green landscape.

"We're stuck here, aren't we?" I ask, turning Kris away from the flowers to look in her eyes.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Yea, I guess so. I don't mind. As long as we can find water, then we'll live. I've always wanted to do something like this. It's like 'Girls vs. Wild.'"

I sigh. Sometimes she could be a little thick headed. I growl at her as she beds to examine the flowers again. This flower was huge, as big as my head, and it was a vibrant orange color. Jesse reached out to touch it, and fondled its waxy green leaves happily.

"What are you doing?" I snarled at her. "This is no time for smelling the flowers! If we want to live, we need water, and you are currently not helping!"

Her head snapped up, and her blue eyes focused on me angrily. "I would have thought that you would have known this, but I'm wrong. _Plants _need _water_ dumbass. There is water nearby, and I can tell by the flowers. I'm not _smelling_ them, I'm _detecting_ the water," she seethed. She grabbed Jesse up from the plant, a little more harshly than she meant to. He cried out, and she shushed him, walking deeper into the woods.

I followed meekly. Kris _was_ right. I was about to apologize when her voice came through the lush undergrowth. "Aha! Go find the others, Nico. I found the water!"

I pushed through the ferns and saw that she was right. Nestled in between the rocks was a small spring, bubbling water to the surface. It was a clear color, and it trickled away from the pond in a stream. Gasping, I fell to my knees and cupped the water in my hand. It was ice cold, despite the temperature of the air outside. I gulped down three handfuls, the water freezing my insides as it went down.

I was about to leave to find the others and share the glory of the water when Sarah's voice exclaimed, "Guys! Water!" She screeched loudly, and I was about to reprimand her when I realized that she couldn't hear how loud her voice was. I fell silent.

Kris picked up Jesse, who was splashing in the pond, and we went down the stream, where we found Kelsey and Sarah in the same position that I had just been in. Karen stood behind them, the front of her shirt dripping.

"I know where to make camp," Kris said, and led us back upstream. Halfway to the pond she made a sharp right, and there was the most beautiful clearing that I had ever seen. There were flowers all over the clearing, and large trees stood protectively. There were a few hollowed out trees, which provided shelter. And I could see a rock formation that was hollowed out underneath.

"It's perfect! Near the water, we have a bunch of shelter. Good job Kris!" Karen cried, running towards one of the hollowed out trees. Kris set Jesse down, and the baby screeched happily. He crawled towards a blue flower and pulled a bunch of then into a bouquet. He then proceeded to smash the pretty blue bouquet against the ground.

Kris smiled. She sat down next to her son, and began picking wildflowers. I stood at the top of the clearing, for it dipped slightly into the ground. This _was_ perfect. I could hear the ocean close by, and I breathed in the salty sea air.

"Thanks," I said to the sky. "Thank you that we are all alive. That we have found this place." I felt that there was something above, a divinity that saved us all and allowed us to live on this island. "Thank you God."

**A/N: Good, bad, horrible? Please tell me via that little button down there. It is small, but it does a lot!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Yay, update! Read, enjoy and review!**

**Karen's POV:**

The bright sunlight forced my eyes open, the birds and insects adding to my annoyance. Couldn't a girl get some sleep in the summer? And why were my windows open to let in the noises of the animals, anyway?

The force of our situation hit me like a speeding train. I wasn't home. Nor would I ever get home. We were stuck here forever, left here to die!

I moaned in despair as I rolled over. Stretching, my hand caught the bark of the tree I was sleeping in, and it started bleeding. "Darn it," I muttered, sucking gently on the cut. The coppery taste of blood filled my mouth, making me want to spit it out.

I stood up and exited the tree, cracking my neck twice to try and relieve a crick that had formed there. Nobody other than me was up. I saw Nico in her own tree, snoring softly. Kelsey sat in the crotch of two limbs above Nico, undoubtedly asleep. Sarah was propped up in another tree hollow, twitching occasionally as if she had a bad dream. I glanced around for Kris, but couldn't find her. She didn't occupy any of the trees that were the beds of us all. A small gurgle, one that I had grown used to in the past few days, alerted me to the place they were hiding. Kris snuggled Jesse as they slept under the rock formation. Very clever.

I stretched my arms once again, relishing that it didn't hit a tree this time. The air here was rather moist, and it felt as if I was breathing a totally new substance. The muggy air woke me up quickly, and my shirt was drenched in a few seconds from sweat.

Deciding that exploring the island would be better off than just sitting here, I broke a stick off from the tree and drew a note in the soft ground.

_Off to go explore. Maybe find ruins of our boat. B back soon._

_Love, Karen_

Satisfied with my note, I headed off into the jungle that was now our home. Unlike at home, where birds sung and chirped, here they screamed. I covered my ears as I walked through the trees, searching for our little pond and stream.

I felt I was at the stream before I truly saw it. The mud at the bank pulled at my bare feet, making squelching noises as I pulled them free. I sat back and laughed quietly at the edge of the stream, examining the mud. It was cool and thick, being dark brown in color. Other animal's prints rested in it, and my hopes soared. If we could find out a way to capture these animals, why, we might not starve after all!

A chattering squirrel brought me down from my high of not dying. I stood up and brushed some dirt from my unsalvageable clothes, and headed on my way. I vaguely remembered Kris telling me a while ago that all streams run towards the ocean. Taking up what I guessed was a southernly course, I followed the bubbly stream. The scent of salt was prominent in the air, and I breathed in deeply. There must be some good things on being deserted on an island. My mother always said that the sea air would cure you faster than any other natural treatment.

The waves crashed against the shore, and I rushed to the water's edge. The sand was a pristine white, reflecting the rising sun into my eyes. IT was already beginning to heat up, and the warmth caressed my feet. The water held nothing from what I could see. There was just clear, blue water as far as the eyes could reach. It was really peaceful, but I couldn't focus on that aspect. I could only worry on how we didn't have any iota of our boat.

I sat down on the ground again, but this time to cry instead of laugh. We could make a nice living off this island, once we figured it out. However, how were we supposed to live without tokens of our past? I had a few valuable things on that boat, and none were here. We couldn't even use the metal siding from the boat to build shelter!

I screamed in frustration, the tears running freely down my face. It would be so much easier if there were just _some _debris to help us! Birds squawked high in the tree, apparently startled by my loud outburst of pent up emotions.

I sniveled, wiping my nose on the ruined sleeve of my once beautiful shirt. There must be something, I told myself. Pulling myself up on a rock, I steadied my feet and continued on. The sand pulled at my soles, and my tears slowly dried up.

There was still nothing in the sea water, I noticed. I was more than halfway through the island's circumference, and nothing had come out yet. It was as if we had disappeared without a trace.

The waters lapped against the sand, plastering the small particles of rock together. The wet sand felt cool to the overly hot atmosphere, and I gladly placed my feet on it. A wave rushed up to greet me, and rolled over my ankles. It was such a pleasant experience.

Slowly, a smile crept onto my face. I never had this experience as a child. Even though we lived in New Jersey, and close to the shore, I never visited it. It was that both of my parents didn't like the feel of the sticky salt water, so we never went. Being here, even though I was alone and stranded, was like a better childhood.

The sun felt good beating down on my back, my face. I closed my eyes and spun, sending fountains of sand flying up beside me. I _could_ live happily forever here, but I truly didn't want to. A bed, a house, to come home to was better than living on a tropical island.

"Esme's Island," I whispered to myself. If Edward and Bella could live on an island for a while, I most certainly could. But they had food _brought_ in. We didn't have that luxury…

Opening my eyes, I was about to move on when a flash of red caught my attention. There, deep in the sea, was a floating red object. I gasped and swam out towards it, hoping it would have some essential provisions like food.

As I came closer, I realized that it was Kelsey's backpack that she brought. Grasping it and tossing it behind my back, I began swimming back. Elation coursed through my body.

The sand stuck to me as I emerged from the sea. It lumped together on my wet torso as I lay down to inspect the contents of the bag. The red material was frayed quite a lot, and the bag was soaked. Still, I had hope. Opening the top, I pulled out a few items, all which were waterlogged beyond salvation. Soggy chips, waterlogged and ruined clothes, and an empty water bottle were all that was ruined. Out of the whole bag, only one object was salvable.

On top of the ruined pile was the Twilight book that Kelsey had closed with care in a Ziploc bag. I grasped it to my chest happily; glad that at least _something_ made it through to life now from my previous one.

I unwrapped the book, and held it out in front of me. I kissed it exuberantly, and dashed off towards the forest. Everyone would be happy to see what had been recovered.

**A/N: Sorry for the shortness of the chapter! Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So, here an update is! I might get a snow day tomorrow, so I'll hopefully be writing ahead then! Read, enjoy, and review!**

**Kelsey's POV: **

Everyone had gotten up by the time I awoke. I stretched my arms and yawned loudly. The caw of a bird startled me, and my eyes opened with fright. Oh, that's right. Of course I'm not at home in my comfy bed. I'm in a jungle, with just my friends. And no pancakes!

"Finally," Kris laughed as I climbed down from the tree. "We've been up for a while. Karen's gone to see if anything was salvageable from the boat."

I nodded placently, my eyes wandering around the clearing. It was beautiful, and all of it had a greenish tinge from the leaves above. My stomach growled loudly, and I clutched it, trying to make it quiet.

Kris sniggered again, but busied herself with Jesse to make it look like it had been nothing. I loved Kris dearly, but sometimes she could be an annoying rebel. We all didn't have kids of our own!

"I think I know some plants and stuff we could eat…" Nico piped up from the tree she was sitting underneath. Looking at her, I tried to stifle a laugh. That girl didn't look as if she had been camping at all in her life, let alone know edible plants! I knew a higher power had it in for us if they put all of us, city girls, into an element we knew nothing about. She got up as a command from my stomach rumbled throughout the clearing.

"I'll go with," Sarah said rather loudly. "If I can't do anything else, I might as well learn edible foods. I could prepare them while you guys are out, and I can babysit!" She said the last part excitedly, but I could detect the sadness in her voice. Sarah was always the active one, the fact that she wanted to take us boating down instead of driving was one of the many reasons why. It would kill her if she had to stay in camp.

Quietly, she and Nico made off, careful not to scare any animal that might be near. Kris completely ignored everything else, and made sure that Jesse was quiet. We weren't sure if anything that was a predator hunted our woods yet, and a screaming baby would draw it like flies to honey. I sat under the tree Nico had been under, and closed my eyes. If I pretended hard enough, I could smell syrup on freshly made waffles. My stomach growled again, but I took no notice otherwise I'd be broken out of my reverie.

The place we were supposed to go, 'The Blue Lake,' was rumored to have the best French toast in all of Georgia, and I wanted some desperately right now. If only we didn't crash. We would have been at 'The Blue Lake' late last night, anchored the boat and gotten in. Immediately we would have gone to bed, and we would have waked up to food. Blueberry pancakes, muffins, fruit. I'd take a poptart right now!

I heard the two tramping about in the woods close by, and I hoped they got some good food. I was dying! "I'm going to the stream," I told Kris, and she nodded. If I couldn't have food, then I should have water to satiate my thirst.

The forest was quiet for now, and I relished it. I needed some time to think, to get the thoughts of food out of my mind and get straight on a few things. The stream was cold as I dipped my hand in. I played with the water, and it leaped and gurgled at my touch.

It was even colder going down my parched throat, and I hadn't realized how thirsty I really was. The stream continued down for a bit, and suddenly I felt the urge to go down and investigate. The small stream grew larger as I went, and it joined with another stream. "Tributaries," I muttered, remembering old Mrs. Calwell and her geography teachings.

A bright splash of gray caught my eye in the stream, and I bent for a closer look. The tributary that had joined was much deeper, and it contained fish! If I could just try to catch one, then we'd have food. Food that is better than wild grains and berries.

I grabbed a stick off the side of the bank, and searched for something that could be used as a hook, and something that could be string. I was sure that the muddy bank was home to a thousand worms, so there would be no problem to that.

I took a vine from the surrounding forest, and tied it to the stick. The knot wasn't perfect, and it wouldn't last a long time. I looked around for a hook, and found nothing. How was I supposed to fish without a hook?

I dug my hands into the sticky mud, and willed worms to come to the surface. A pink-purple head – or tail – became visible, and I dug with more gusto. I pulled out the body, and found out that the word was about a foot long, and I squealed. It made a large _squelch_ as it came out, and it got worm-slime all over my hands.

I tied the long worm to the vine with some difficulty. Finally, it was tied in, and I tossed the worm into the water. The fish swam by, ignoring the worm. My eyes started to close on their own accord, but before a few minutes had gone by, I felt a tug. Wildly pulling the end out, I was surprised that there was no fish. However, there was no shortage of water on my clothes.

"Great!" I announced to nobody. It was like my phone at home. A phantom ring, except it was a phantom fish-tug. I tossed the end back in, and waited. Finally, with what seemed like a dream, a silvery fish latched onto the squirming worm.

I screeched and pulled out wildly once more, splashing myself with more water. There was no fish, and I saw it splash on down the river. I sighed, and got up. I could focus on fishing later, I think. I had to go back to camp before Kris began to worry… which would be when hell froze over, I realized.

Still, I walked through the forest, and it was a relief when the brightly colored flowers that meant our camp came into sight. Sarah and Nico were back, and were separating the roots of many plants into multiple piles.

"You're back!" Sarah said, "And you're wet? Why?"

I laughed at what the others must have seen. I was drenched to the skin in clothes that were ragged. I must've been a sight for sore eyes! "Karen not back yet?" I ask, diverting my attention to Nico.

Nico sat in a pile of roots, placidly picking them out and assorting them in piles that must have made sense to her. Kris sat next to her, keeping an eye on Jesse while she organized berries. "Are you sure these are safe?" Kris asked, for Jesse had shoved the root of a buttery smelling yellow flower in her mouth.

Nico nodded, and turned to me. "Nope. Me and Sarah got back just a little bit ago. This place is rich with flowers, roots, and berries that are all edible! It's great! And… I think you went swimming?"

"Fishing," I said happily, trying to wave out my shirt to dry it. "Sadly, there was no –"

Karen came back then, stumbling through the forest. "Guys!" she announced once she got into the vincity. "There wasn't anything left to save, except for one thing!"

We all looked at her expectantly, and Karen pulled out something from behind her back. "_Twilight_!" Sarah screeched, rushing over to Karen.

I also ran to Karen, and looked at the cover of the book expectantly. There wasn't anything wrong with it; it had survived the storm better than the sturdy boat! It must've been a sign.

"Hey guys," I said quietly. They all looked at me expectantly, and I felt nervous about giving my piece of advice. "I think this is a sign. I felt that someone was watching over us during the storm, which is the reason why we all survived. The reason _Twilight_ survived is the same reason we did. Because Stephenie Meyer was watching over us. She made us safe."

**A/N: Enjoy? Good. We're getting into the whole reason why this is in the **_**Twilight**_** category!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: And now we watch their descent into madness. Read, enjoy and review!**

"Stephenie Meyer… is like… God?" Kris said quietly, pronouncing each word carefully. Kelsey nodded feverishly. Kris then did something which startled all of us. She laughed right in Kelsey's face. "That is the greatest thing I have ever heard you say, Kels. Stephenie Meyer, ha, God."

"It's true!" I found myself calling out, much louder than intended. It was just that she spoke so softly, I needed to speak louder so that others could hear me. I could barely hear myself! "I felt it too! And I think that she is goddess, she saved us!"

Kris looked at me sullenly, with a small smile playing on her face. However, slowly Karen nodded too, and Nico looked like she felt it. I motioned around the camp to Kris, and her face fell sourly. "Fine, you believe in this crap. My son and I will stay true to the _real _God._"_

Kris then walked out of the camp, and I could hear her breaking through the foliage. I felt bad for her, but if she chose not to accept god, then it was her fault.

"We all know Stephenie is goddess, right?" Karen asked her voice so quiet it was barely audible. Everyone around camp nodded. "Then the Cullens and wolves are the angels, right?" she asked again, gaining more confidence as we agreed. "We become angels when we die, so we go with them. This is what real religion is."

I nodded. "We should all take Twilight names to show our love for the goddess and the angels!" I suggested. The rest of the girls looked on in awe, and started chattering excitedly.

"That's a great idea, Sarah! We should create a better lifestyle in the island, as to better please goddess," Nico muttered. I could tell that the idea of our religion wasn't too fond on her, but she knew it was right.

"Good," Karen said, and sat down. We all followed, leaving her at the top of the circle. "I now name myself Bella, and I take lead of this group." Nico looked offended, but before she could say something Kelsey named herself Alice.

"My name is Rosalie," I announced, and Nico looked even more upset. She then muttered that she would be Emily.

"Good, we now have names," Karen – no, Bella – said. "Now, we must prepare the camp to please the goddess. But how?"

Kelsey shrugged. "Should we get food, first?" Karen nodded, and motioned for everyone to get up. I, however, stayed down. I wouldn't be much of a help to them. Karen nodded her consent, and I went to one of the trees on the edge of the clearing, and cuddled up trying to sleep.

The birds cawed and shrieked, preventing me from drifting off. They were really annoying me. If we were to live here for any period of time, they had better shut up! An intense wave of heat came from the direction of the beach, and I could feel myself beginning to sweat.

I moaned, and rolled over. Immediately, a cold hand pressed to my forehead, taking away the pain and making me feel bliss. "Thanks," I whispered, before my eyes shot open. Nobody here was cold! I sat up quickly, almost banging into Edward's torso.

"It's fine," he said quietly, sitting down on the branch next to me. I almost swooned at his proximity. I always knew that he was real, but with him sitting right next to me…

"Do you know why I'm here?" he asked, his voice flowing over both of my ears like honey. It was then I realized that I could hear perfectly, if not better than I did before. Still stunned, I shook my head, marveling as I heard the wind rush around them.

"I am the messenger. The goddess wished to tell you some things, and so I was sent. She is quite pleased that you have found her, and loves the way you are trying to please her now. But, she has some rules to follow.

"First are your names. _You_ don't get to choose your names. The goddess does. The leader of your tribe will be Nico, and she will be named Tanya, since Tanya is a great leader to her coven. Karen and Kelsey will stay inside the camp, and prepare food and take care of camp. They shall be Esme and Emily, because of their mothering nature. Kris, she will give her own name, since she doesn't believe, but she shall be a hunter. I'm sure that she will enjoy that. Jesse will be named Edward, after me. He is the first male in your group, so he shall have the best name. He shall grow up to father the entire tribe in the future, but until then, he shall be a fisher. You must wait patiently for him to grow up."

I noticed that everyone _but_ me had been said, and Kris didn't even believe in them! "Wh-what about me?" I asked quietly, trying not to anger the messenger angel.

He smiled his crooked smile, and I swooned on the spot. It was even better than what Robert Pattinson did in the movies! "You, my love, are closer to us than anyone else in your tribe. You shall be the healer, and you get a special name. You are Alice, because you are so connected to us. You will see the future, and know how to heal, from us. It's the highest position in the tribe, and you even have more power than Tanya."

I was speechless. I was the most powerful person in the tribe? Just because of my ear? It was such a wonderful idea it made me want to scream. "The r-rules?" I asked, still slightly breathless from the news.

"Ah, yes," Edward said, tapping his fingers on the coarse bark. "You shall only call Stephenie by The Goddess, and every day at dusk you shall sacrifice something to her. There will be no fighting in the tribe. Infants will not know their parents, so that they are truly attached to their mother, The Goddess, and not any human parents. If a parent is to tell their child that they are their parent, they shall be drowned in the stream, and their body left in the far part of the forest. The Goddess doesn't want rule-breakers in her Heaven."

My brow furrowed. There were certainly a lot of rules… But still, he continued. "Burial should be wrapped in vines and flowers from the jungle around the body. Words to help their ascent to The Goddess' Palace will precede the Ocean Burial. No one is allowed to speak of them again. Lastly, The Goddess rules all. She gives names to the children, and she decides your fate. Obey her, and your tribe will prosper. Disobey, and you shall feel her wrath. Goodbye, Alice."

I startled awake, and noticed that Edward wasn't with me anymore. Neither was anyone else. How long had I been out? Was it really for that long?

"Sarah?" I heard Karen faintly calling. She stepped out of the vines on the other side with everyone, including Kris, behind her. My mouth fell into a frown as I realized my hearing was back to horrible.

"Guys!" I shouted, elated from my meeting with Edward. I forgot all about my disappointment in my hearing because of the name it gave me. "I have so much to tell you!"

**A/N: I have to admit, this was kinda funny to write! Do you agree? And what do you think Kris' name will be, and why?**


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